Airplane wing



Nav. 28, 1944. E. v. SMITH I AIRPLANE WING Filed Feb. ze. 1942 `2 Sheets-Shea?I l: f: Ii"

E. v. SMITH l AIRPLANE WING Nov. 28, 1944.

Filed Feb. 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yfmwm llandingand slow ying. i t i i l `Anotlrier` object of .the invention is to provide an airplane Wing having improvedmechanism for Patented Nov. 2 8, 1944 2,364,005 t IA121111?LAllfiE lowed to obtainlhigher `rates :of` speed,"`r to in- `power will `be afforded` 'for `aidingfin takeoff,

changingxthecamberthereofn y o Aifurther object `of the invention isto provide an air' foiluof the character described `Wherein `the mechanism for changing `the camber may be controlled with facility from the cockpit.

i .wt-smi another object of the `invention `is to pro;

wide aniairplane wing employing improved mech-` anismfor controlling the ailerons). f y

`Still another objectfof. the invention is to provide an airplane wing which isucharacterized `by `the maximum simplicity of construction and efciency in operation. j I I `Still further objects of the invention not specincally mentioned herenbeiore, will become ap-` parent during the course `ofthefollowing` description;

In the drawingsforming apartof my .applica` tion: i I

airplane wing,the view being partly broken away.

`crease drag'r ,with theA resulnthat `more lifting s "ngterwismith,Kerrviuegrex: Y i i appueaiieanebreeryze,imalsefiain.13251951L S ",fioaims. (o1. 24a-4o` l 'Ihisvinvention relates to airffoils and more @particularly to aniimprovedairplane wing: p

One objectief the `invention to provide, an i airplane wing which is` so `constructed that it will `serve a dual purpose, i. e;;-either tofreduce l dragiwith the result that the aircraft will betalally spacedlupper and lower members `3 and 4 which areconnected by spaced strutsit Con-` unectingfthe members 3 and@ attheir correspending QFWIrd endsis a block .It which is `shaped top de ine a leading edge aior thawing. At their corresponding rear `ends the `members -3 and 4 areconnectedbyfablock `'I` which is `shaped to `delizie a` trailing edgeafor ii;lfiev vrn,f,f.` It

I Vshould be understood(` that the` blocks @and TI I .skeleton traine I1, said irameincluding longitudi` `extend i throughout `that the center lwtions ably secured to the fuselage.

the flengthmqof y the Wing and of saidblocks are suit- Normally overlyingthe frame `2 is `a resilient nally extending stripshand i0,jwhichextend throughout theentire lengthot thawing; The y stripi 9, las best seen in wl'igure 2, is disposed near the rrllingfedgeof the wing `while the.; strip Ill` is disposed near the leading edge thereof.-The

i i i l i I i 30 Figure 1` is a top plan view of my improved I i I Figure 2is anenlarged transverse` sectional view on the line 2-2 of 'FigureL y Figure `3 `is a transverse sectional view showing-*35 my improved wing, as it would appear with the camber increased, for increasing the lift ofA the wing l l i l i Figure 4 is `an end Viewshowing one of the y ailerons employed and themechanis'mfor shifting said ailerons, I I

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail-bottom plan view `of one of the ailerons, y y i' 1 i I I Figure vis a detail plan view showing a por-` tion of the cam shaft with some of the `camsemployed andthe sectorgear thereon, and Y y s Figure `'7 `isV an enlarged `detail front elevation i "of thedevice.

In the drawings similar numerals of `reference todesignate like parts throughout the views.

The numeral `I: indicates `a portion" of? the fuselage of an aircraftwhich :isto be equipped with myimprovedwingm'rhe fuselage I: is Unconventional construction and need not be. deseribedin frame 8 includes a plurality of transversely extending resilient 4strips II which-extend throughout the width of: the wing and aredisposedabove y the upper members@` between adjacent pairs of said upperimembers. 'Ehe strips I I, areeachiconinectecL `neartheir corr espondii'ig4 forward and rearends-with `the strips i0 and 9. Saidstrips l I have their corresponding forward, end portions connected with straps I zfoffhinges I 3,` said hingesbeing mounted on. thej leading edge oftheblock 6. I

Theresilient skeleton frame 8 `isthus mounted with its forwardy edgepivotall-y g connected with gtheframez. I y 3 l. j i `EXHamline betweenthe bliksriii ameland laf against the under .surfaces thereelf;` vis-coverlingmaterial Iwhiehmay be fabria'light weight metal oritloe 1ike..Thematerial I 4e;;tends about the upper surfacenofi-said block; to the `forward uppenedge thereoi.`;:Saidy coyering M alsofex- 3 therear edge of the block .'land forwardly along tends about the leading edge of :the blockIi1 and rearwardly on the frarne` .throughoutthe entire `overlying that portion of theficovering on the upper surface 10i; the iblookft.

p uit Should; `be understood that suitably secured to the strips )trame :-and that`.sai`d covering is. of suiiicient exibilityythahexing; of theframe 8, a manqner: to; be described 1in,

twillybe permitted; I

widtlr of said traine, `the rear endof-theycovering i `In y this connection thecovering `Illris `I |.1Qf `the skeleton moredetail hereinafter,

y In order to charigey the of the wing,

I55 nereaseqor `decreaseffdrag,I employ mecha- Ain detail in Figure '1 of the drawings.

nism now'to be described. Extending longitudinally of the Wing Within the frame 2 and beneath the members 3 thereof and near the block 6 is a cam shaft I5. Mounted on the cam shaft and disposed'beneath each of the strips II'near -its forward end portion are rocker arms I6 terminating in cams I6. Also mounted on the cam shaft substantially medially of its length andA within the fuselage I is a sector I1 which is provided with teeth I8. the thread of a worm I9 which is mounted on a shaft 20. The shaft 20, as best seen in Figure 2,

its intermediate portion journaled in a bearing 22,k said bearings 2| and 22 being mounted on the forwardmost 'strut 5 and the lower member 4, respectively, of the center sub-frame of the frame 2. At its lower or forward end the shaft 20 is formed with an operating crank 23.`

Mounted on the opposite ends of the wings are vertical ns24 and 25, the fin 25 being-shown The fins 24 and 25 define mountings for ailerons 26 and 21.- rThe ailerons each include a stationary flap 28 and a movable flap 29 which is connected to said flap 28 by a hinge 30. Mounted on the 'under surfaces of the flap 29 are bearing loops or The teeth I8 mesh with' Ahas its upper end journaled in a bearing 2I and parting greater lift to said wing. In order to increase the camber of my improved wing, it is only necessary for the pilot to rotate the shaft 2li, by means of the crank 23,v for rotating the cam shaft I5. When this is done, the cams I6' will be swung upwardly, as shown in Figure 3, and the skeleton frame 8 will be exed upwardly. During the upward flexing movement, the strips II will swing about the pivots defined by the hinges I3. It will thus be seen that although the frame may flex upwardly, the forward end/of said frame will be limited against -movement `toward or away from the leading edge block 6.

`The rear edge portion of the frame 8 will be straps 3l' which receive the end portions 32 of cranks 33. The cranks 33 are formed integrally with an aileron shifting rod34 which extends'L longitudinally of the wing throughout its length and projects through the ns 24 and 25. Thel rod 34 is providedwith a sector gear 36 which is adapted to mesh with a worm gear 31 carried on the rear end of an adjusting shaft 38. The forward end portion of the adjusting shaft 38 is mounted in a bearing 39 and said shaft 38 terminates at its forward end in a crank 40 which is similar tothe crank 23 and is disposed for convenient manual engagement by the pilot. It`

will now be seen that, by rotating the shaft 38, rotative movement will be transmitted'to the rod 34 withthe result that the ailerons 26 and 21 may be shifted about their hinges 30, as shown in ldotted lines in Figure 4. Attention is called to the fact that, inasmuch as thebearing straps 3| receive the end portions 32 of the cranks 33,

said cranks will be limited in their movement and will thus be prevented from becoming disengaged from the flaps of the ailerons.

Extending between pairs of the sub-frames at spaced points along the wing are anchoring rods 4I. The rods 4I provide anchoring means for corresponding forward ends of expansible members preferably in the form of resilient straps 42 which straps extend rearwardly of the'wing and f are partially trained about the rod 34 and have their' inner ends connected with the strip 9 which, as pointed out hereinbefore, forms a part of the skeleton frame 8.

'As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the upper rear edgeportion of the covering material I4, which portion is carried at the rear edge of the frame 8, overlies thelower rear edge portion of the covering material which itself overlies the block 1. It is also desired to point out that the skeleton frame 8 is flexible and that, therefore, the

rear edgeportion of the coveringmaterial on said frame will, when the frame is flexed, move with respect to the trailing edge block 1 and againstthe tension of the resilient straps 42.

It is now desired to describe in more detail the operation of my improved airplane wing. When the pilot desires to take off, itAis desirable that 'the camber of the wing be increased for imdrawn forwardly over the trailing edge block 1 byjtheupward flexing movement of the frame 8 and said forward movement will, of course, shift'the strip 9 forwardly. Upward flexing of the .frame 8, with consequent forward movement of the rear edge portion thereof, will, of course, place the straps 42 under tension. That is` to say, when the strip 9 is moved forwardly, the

straps 42 will be extended undertension for relcamber is increased, greater drag will'be imposed with the result that speed of the shipwill be reduced. After the ship has reachedv a desired altitude and greaterspeed is demanded, the crank 23 is rotated injthe opposite Vdirection Afor swinging the cams I6 downwardlyto the po- -sition shown in Figure 2. The resilient straps 42 will 'assist the skeleton frame 8 in returning rto retracted position 'in 'which' position the l dragr of the .wingis reduced to a minimum. Maximum speed from the craft may then be obtained. As hereinbefore pointed out, rotationofthe shaft 38 will swing the flaps 29 of ther-ailerons about the hinges 30 thereof for assisting` .in maneuvering the ship; The vertical fins-24 "and 25 will also assist in maneuvering the .craft.`

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have. provided an airplane wing` which, in one adjusted position, will be capable of exerting maximumlifting effort and, in another adjusted position will permit the vcraft to obtain maximum speed.

:My improved airplane wing is simple in construction and will be highly efficient in use;

claimed as new is:

"1. An airplane wing including a main frame, a`resilient skeleton frame rconnected with the main frame and including a plurality of strips, a covering for the frames, a rod mounted on and Having thus described the invention,".what is 'extending transversely of the mainframe in spaced relation to the `trailing edgeofthewing, a resilient strap extending over said rod andhaving one end thereof anchored to the'main* frame and its otherend connected with the skeleton frame, and means on the main frame and .shiftable forv flexing said skeletony frame withrespect to the mainframe forchanging thecamber of the wing, said means lincluding a cam shaft,

and cams on the cam shaft and engageable with` the strips.

2. An `airplane wing including a main frame having blocks'defining a leading edge `and a trailingedge, a covering for the underside fof the.frame,1a resilient skeleton frame comprising a plurality oflvspaced resilient".strips:` and longitudinally extending strips connecting .said

the camber of l spaced resilient strips, means hingedly` connecting the forward edge of the resilient skeleton Aframe with the leading edge block, said covering extending about the leading `edge and over said resilient skeleton frame `in engagement with thestrips,` the rear end edge portion of said resilja resilient skeleton frame connected with the ient skeleton frame being movable above` thel trailing edge block. a cam shaft journaled on the main frame, a plurality of rocker arms onfsaid shaft and terminating in cams, said cams being engageable with the rst-mentioned strips, a sector gear on the cam shaft,v a worm gear meshing with the sector gear, a shaft said last-mentioned Vshaft being rotatable for communicating movement `to the rocker arms through the sector and worm gears for engaging the cams with the strips for shifting the re` silient skeleton frame with respect to the main frame whereby thecamber of the wing will be changedfa rod mounted on and extending transversely of the wing near the trailing edge thereof, and resilient straps connected with the rear end edge portion of the skeleton frame and passfor theworm gear, p

i trailing edge, an

frame. s

t 3. An airplane wing including a main frame,

main frame and including a plurality of elongated strips disposed in parallel relation and extending between the leadingand trailing edges of the Wing, a covering about said main and skeleton frames, a rod mounted on the main frame and disposed in parallel relation with said elongated transverse narrow strip secured to said lrst strips adjacent the rear strips includes rockable thereof, a plurality of resilient straps xied relative to `said main jframe,l engaging about said wherein said means "ling around said rod and anchored to the main resilient i i 

